


Magic And Moving Pictures

by Heathersparrows



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Humor, Animals, Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Movie Reference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-26
Updated: 2013-02-26
Packaged: 2017-12-03 17:21:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/700775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heathersparrows/pseuds/Heathersparrows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hagrid gets two Muggle movie tickets from Arthur Weasley. The romantic evening with his lover turns out a little different from what he planned ...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magic And Moving Pictures

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anne-Li (Anneli)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anneli/gifts).



Magic and Moving Pictures

By Heather Sparrows

1\. The Tickets

“Arthur Weasley gave me two tickets for one of these Muggle inventions they call the cinematoscope. He bought them for their twenty-fifth anniversary, and now he and Molly won’t be able to go because of an important meeting at the Ministry,” Albus Dumbledore said with a small sigh. “I’d rather watch the moving picture, but the Minister wishes me to attend as well. Would you like to go, Minerva?”

The Transformation Teacher smiled at him.

“We’ve been there together once,” she said dreamily. “Remember, Albus? We both were a bit younger, then. It was a story from overseas, about a stubborn girl. She was in love with a few dashing young men, one of them especially attractive, with a moustache. Then a war came, and the family lost everything – what was the name of that picture? Ah – I know: ‘Gone With The Wind’.”

Dumbledore smiled as well. Sometimes it was nice to stroll down memory lane ... 

“That was in 1941, Minerva. A very long time ago. High time you went again. Do you want the tickets? Perhaps you can take Poppy along?”

“When is the date?”

The Headmaster looked at the tickets.

“Friday the 26th. That would be this Friday.”

Professor McGonagall shook her head. 

“Too bad. This Friday will be my monthly Bridge evening with the girls. I cannot miss it. Ask Rolanda. Perhaps she would like to take Pomona or Poppy along.”

*****  
“Sorry, Headmaster. Strategy meeting for the opening match against Durmstrang on Friday,” said Madam Hooch.

“I’m expecting a new delivery of mandrakes and fireweed for Friday afternoon. And you know how it is, Headmaster. They have to get fresh soil as soon as possible. Couldn’t have poor Longbottom do all the work alone, though he has volunteered. Hagrid delivers them to my door already, and Argus won’t go near them,” said Professor Sprout.

“With the casualties of the last Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson still in the hospital ward?” said Poppy Pomfrey. She gave the Headmaster an exasperated look. “Weasley in a fish tank; Malfoy hanging upside down, flapping his wings; Finnegan hopping around, nibbling carrots; Goyle twittering away happily in his cage? More like a zoo in here, at the moment. Thanks, Headmaster, but I have too much to do!”

Dumbledore put a calming hand on the Mediwitch’s arm. 

“I had a word with Sirius. The spells will wear off soon. But talking about a zoo – thank you, Poppy. I know now whom I’ll ask.”

He left the hospital ward. Madam Pomfrey watched him walk away, shaking her head. 

“You must have been a handful in your time, too,” she murmured with a little smile.

*****  
Cautiously, Hagrid took one of the tickets between thumb and forefinger of his huge hand, held it away at arm’s length and squinted at it.

“This Friday ev’nin’? Well, I think I could make tha’! Thanks a lot fer thinkin’ of me, Headmaster.” After putting the ticket gingerly in a free spot on the cluttered table he managed a bow, wiping his hands nervously.

“Would yeh care fer a tea, Professer? I’d have some ready, but I didn’t know yeh’d pop by fer a visit, so –“ He put some harnesses and a toolbox away to make room for the Headmaster to sit down.

“Thank you, Hagrid. Tea would be lovely.” Fang came to greet him, and Dumbledore scratched him behind the ears. “It would be sad to have the tickets expire without anyone using them. You don’t by any chance know someone who would like the other ticket?”

Hagrid’s face seemed a little flushed when he put the giant teapot and two oversized cups on the table. 

“Actually, Headmaster, withou’ wantin’ ter be greedy, I was abou’ ter ask yeh fer th’ other ticket.” Now he was blushing like a fourth-year having a crush.

“Splendid.” Dumbledore poured tea for them both. “I hope you’ll have a wonderful evening, then.” He winked at Hagrid. 

“Ter be sure,” the half-giant said, helping himself generously to the sugar, “tha’ is, when I’ll have talked him inter it. He’s not the type enjoys himself easily ... Um ... shouldn’t ‘ve said tha’,” he added, blushing even more. 

Albus Dumbledore kept a straight face. 

 

2\. Hagrid’s Power of Persuasion

The Headmaster left after he had finished his tea, tactfully assuming that Hagrid would need some time indeed to persuade the man he had chosen as company for his outing. If he guessed right as to the man’s identity, it would take a good deal of effort...

Half an hour after Dumbledore’s visit, Hagrid presented himself at the entrance to the Dungeons, knocking timidly at first, then louder.

“Whoever it is: Go away!” a voice came testily from inside.

“Er – well then, Professer, I’ll come back another time!” Hagrid called.

//If he’s in a bad mood, ‘t won’t be no good ter talk ter him anyway,// he thought.

Quick steps came closer, clacking on the stone floor, then the door was torn open vigorously, revealing the tall, black-robed figure of Severus Snape, the Potions Master, his face as friendly as a thunderstorm.

//’E’s damn good-lookin’ when ‘e’s angry,// Hagrid thought.

“Come in.” Snape’s voice was a tad less icy than before. Hagrid heard the difference and saw the angry black eyes soften for the fraction of a moment. This gave him hope for his endeavour. 

Nevertheless he was a bit nervous when he followed Severus inside. His lover might be irresistible when he was angry, but as touchy and unpredictable as a viper. They had not been together for a long time yet, and had he not lately seen another Severus Snape - eyes closed in concentration, head thrown back in the ecstasy of orgasm - Hagrid would have postponed asking him out. As it was, though, he would try his luck.

Obediently, he followed Snape into his private study, a surprisingly comfortable room, furnished with teak bookcases, a rolltop, a small table and two overstuffed chairs in front of a huge fireplace. The desk was covered with rolls of parchment. Essays probably, and possibly the source of the Potions Teacher’s bad mood.

“’S really nice here,” Hagrid remarked. Though he and the Potions Master had been lovers for two months now, he rarely had been to the Dungeons, and never before in Snape’s private study, let alone in his bedroom. Hagrid had never objected. The bed in his hut probably was bigger anyway.

He went over to the fireplace and warmed his hands, nervously shuffling his feet, unsure how to begin.

“For Merlin’s sake, sit down, Hagrid!” Snape snapped. “Have a –“

It was too late, though. Hagrid had wandered over to one of the bookcases, and had tried to lean nonchalantly against it. The bookcase was sturdy, but not built to support more than 350 pounds of half-giant. It collapsed, and a collection of rare potions books, as well as two shelves with the latest volumes of “The Potions Masters’ Quarterly” rained down on Hagrid.

There was a moment of stunned silence.

Then Hagrid shook himself, rubbed his head, and stepped gingerly out of the remains of broken shelves, heaps of books and magazines. He had been quick enough to catch the worried expression on Snape’s face. When Hagrid appeared to be unharmed, save for a few bruises, the expression vanished as fast as it had come, though, and was replaced by grim indignation.

The half-giant found his voice again.

“Awfully sorry, Sev’rus, didn’t mean ter ... I’ll put it tergether again, don’t yeh worry!”

He went down on his knees and began to crawl around, gathering the books and magazines together and putting them on top of each other, dropping some of them again, scraping the covers of others with his huge boots, even accidentally kicking them across the room.

Snape watched the chaos for a moment, arms folded in front of his chest, his long, pale face unreadable.

“What do you think you are doing, Hagrid?” he finally asked in a calm voice. It was the calm which even made seventh-year Gryffindors cower behind their desks.

The half-giant smiled nervously.

“Why, clearing up the mess I’ve made ...”

“Sit. Down. Over. There. And be quiet.”

//Not good. Not good at all. Yeh can feel his power when ‘e’s angry though. Fascinatin’.//

Obediently, Hagrid put the books aside and got up, trying to avoid further damage. Gingerly, he tiptoed over to the overstuffed chair near the fireplace Snape had indicated and lowered himself carefully.

“Thank you, Rubeus.” Snape’s voice was a little less dangerous now. Maybe it was also a good sign that he had addressed Hagrid by his first name.

The Potions Master pulled out his wand, waving it towards the heap of broken wood and damaged books.

“Reparo.”

The bookcase re-erected itself.

“Sorte libris.”

The books and journals lifted themselves one by one from the floor, mended themselves and took their places on the bookshelves again. Within a few minutes, nothing remained of Hagrid’s little accident.

Snape folded his arms again, frowning slightly.

“Now, Rubeus -” He turned to his visitor. “- to which important event do I owe the honour of your visit? You looked as if you had something relevant to tell me, before you began to re-arrange my furniture.”

Hagrid nodded, but otherwise tried to move as less as possible.

“The Headmaster gave me two tickets fer that Muggle invention. The movin’ picters. And I’d like ter go.” 

Snape lifted an eyebrow.

“Well, you are an adult, Rubeus. We may have taken up an – intimate relationship, but this hardly puts you in the position of having to ask my permission to seek certain means of amusement – however dubious they might be.”

Hagrid sighed. When Snape was in a bad mood, he liked to take any change to give the conversation a new direction, manoeuvring his partner or opponent verbally into a corner. He was good at that, even with Dumbledore. If you didn’t pay attention, you ended up having said a lot of things to defend yourself, and you’d never had a chance to utter what you’d actually wanted to say in the first place. Hagrid had learned his lessons, however, so he marched straight through on his path, avoiding all the traps, hooks, and pitfalls.

“Would yeh like ter come with ter the movin’ picters, Sev’rus?”

Snape’s face remained unreadable. He did not join Hagrid at the open fire, but waved a beautiful decanter and two tulip-shaped glasses from a cabinet on the wall. They hovered in the air for a moment, then settled onto the table. The decanter poured a small amount of its contents, an amber liquid, into the two glasses.

“Accio, glass.”

Snape took the stem of the glass, which had obediently moved into his long-fingered hand, between middle and forefinger. He cradled the bottom of the glass in his palm, setting the liquid into a gentle, swirling motion, then lifted the glass to his nose, taking in the scent, before finally sipping.

Hagrid had observed the ceremony with fascination. Now he took his own glass, sniffed the contents shortly, and, finding the smell satisfying, downed the liquor in one swig. It warmed his stomach in a pleasant way.

“ Nice taste. What’s it, Sev’rus? One o’ yours?”

A smile crept around the corners of the Potions Master’s mouth and lit up his obsidian eyes for a moment.

“That’s French Cognac. Not one of my potions.” 

He finally moved up to the table by the fire and took the chair opposite Hagrid. Then he refilled the half-giant’s glass with another graceful wave of his hand.

“Thank you for the invitation, Rubeus. It has a somewhat romantic notion, I must admit. But we both have exceeded the age of Fourth- or Fifth-Years, for whom this way of courtship would be appropriate, by far.”

Hagrid looked down at his glass, which was already empty again. Severus could change topics as fast as a mining worm could drill a hole into a rock.

“It’s not courtin’,” he said, “tha’is, if yeh don’t want it ter be courtin’, Sev’rus. ‘T is jes’ tha’ it would be a pity ter let two tickets go ter waste, when Arthur Weasley paid money fer them.” 

For emphasis, he took the two tickets out of his breast pocket, tapping them with his huge forefinger.

*****

Snape took another sip from his cognac, eyeing with disgust the two white slips of paper, which looked like stamps in Hagrid’s hand.

//I am no Muggle expert, but even I can guess that ordinary tickets for whatever – amusement – bought for a date which then proves inconvenient, might be taken back and refunded,// he thought. //Or exchanged for admission valid on a convenient date. As Arthur gave them to Dumbledore instead, I suppose he has provided a special outing and imbued the tickets with a kind of magic he cannot revert. So he cannot give them back, lest they fall into the hands of some hapless Muggle. And the Headmaster has given them to Hagrid, of all people. Hagrid, who can be as excitable as a six-year-old. A rather unwise decision.//

“What is this moving picture about, anyway?” he asked testily.

Hagrid looked at the slips of paper in his hand, holding them away from his face at arm’s length.

“’T says ‘King Kong’ here. Prob’ly somethin’ ‘bout a Chinese king from old times?” he guessed.

//Merlin’s Beard ...//

“I am thrilled. Did the Headmaster not tell you what you’re about to see in this moving picture?”

//I can hardly believe the Old Man didn’t ask Arthur the Muggle Expert what the picture was about ...//

“Nah, he didn’t say. Perhaps it is somethin’ with animals in it. Sev’rus? Could we go tergether? Please?” Despite his enormous bulk and his wild beard, Hagrid managed to look like an expectant six-year-old, which was not entirely lost on Snape. 

//He actually would like me to come along. I have to get accustomed to someone wanting me around. And I’ll have to go with him. Salazar knows what ideas he might get in regard to a moving picture...//

“Give me one of the tickets,” Snape ordered. “Let me have a look.”

Obediently, Hagrid handed over one slip of paper.

“I mean, I know yeh’re terribly busy, Sev’rus, what with preparin’ lessons an’ teachin’ and correctin’ homework an’ all that, but I think Friday evenin’ might be alright? We’ve been at the Three Broomsticks tergether on a Friday evenin’...”

//Mpf. It was strange enough, someone infringing on my precious time and asking me out ...//

Snape got up.

“Very well, Rubeus. If you insist, yes. Provided a pressing commitment will not prevent me at the last minute.”

//Provided the other master whom I pretend to serve does not have different plans ...//

For a moment, Hagrid’s huge, open features became sad, then he beamed at Snape.

“I’ll keep my fingers crossed, Sev’rus!”

//If this would be of any help, Rubeus, a good part of the wizarding world would sit all day with their fingers and their toes crossed ...//

“Very well,” Snape remarked. “And now I must ask you to leave me to my work. I will have to correct a lot of the homework you mentioned earlier.”

Hagrid got up as well.

“I’ll be on me way, Sev’rus. Thanks fer sayin’ yeh want ter come with me an’ all tha’. An’ thanks fer the French booze.” 

He saw the corners of Snape’s mouth twitch. Steering clear of the bookshelves, the half-giant turned at the door. 

“If yeh didn’t give the students so much homework, yeh would’ve less ter correct, then,” he said, winking.

Snape sniffed, looking disdainfully up at the half-giant. 

“I make sure they do not only stroke the spines of their books, but actually read them,” he said sharply. “Good night, Rubeus. I’ll see you for dinner in the Great Hall tomorrow.”

 

3\. Preparations

“You couldn’t have found something a little bit more – unobtrusive to wear for this outing?” Snape asked, as soon as he had entered Hagrid’s hut on Friday evening.

“Wha’s wrong with me clothes?” Hagrid asked. “They’re good an’ solid an’ comfortable!”

Snape sighed. Hagrid wore enormous black boots, tight black leather pants, a vest of the same material and a black tee-shirt showing a skeleton on a motorbike. 

The Potions Master closed his eyes in exasperation for a moment. 

//Probably he asked Sirius for his advice about Muggle fashions ...//

He took a second look. The tee-shirt and the vest showed off Hagrid’s wide chest and shoulders; as well as his muscled arms, covered with that fuzzy, auburn hair which was just right to the touch, not too soft, not too frizzy ... The tight leather pants showed that Hagrid was not fat, only heavyset and solid. The enormous beard and shoulder-length hair, both freshly washed, fit the clothing the half-giant had chosen. All in all, Snape had to admit that Hagrid looked ... irresistible, at least to him. To make the half-giant blend in, vanish into the crowd, would be a hopeless endeavour anyway ...

The Potions Master cleared his throat.

“Very well,” he said testily. “It will have to do. We must hurry up now, if we don’t want to be late.”

Hagrid did not listen. He was lovingly looking at Snape.

“Yeh don’t look half bad, Sev’rus!”

Snape suppressed a smile. He had indeed wasted a small amount of his precious time to make himself presentable for the outing, hoping that no one except Hagrid would see him and get stupid ideas. Remembering a long-forgotten lesson in etiquette from his fourth year: “To clean yourself and wear fresh clothes, Gentlemen, is a sign of respect to the young ladies you will accompany to an outing or a social function!” he had done everything a greasy-haired, scarecrow-thin thirtyish male with an enormous nose could do: He had given himself the luxury of a long bath with herbal essences, had shaved and afterwards used a discreetly fragranced lotion. His hair, also freshly washed, softly framed his face. His clothing had been chosen with great care, casual, but of good quality: No compromises with his shoes, ankle-high and pointed. The rest of his clothing was Muggle Fashion, though: he wore a blazer and a sweater underneath, all in black. Slacks of the same colour accentuated his long legs. 

“Act’ally, yeh do look ravishin’, Sev’rus! Elegant an’ noble!”

For a moment, a smile flitted across Snape’s face, before his features became unreadable again.

//Minerva might have had other ideas about whom to impress when she gave that lesson in etiquette ...//

“Oh, do shut up, Rubeus. We must hurry now!”

They left the hut, went to the boundaries of the school property and disapparated, appearing in one of the countless narrow lanes in Muggle London’s West End.

 

4\. The Muggle Movie Theatre

//Odeon Leicester Square. The Weasleys really wanted to hit it off on their anniversary.// Snape gave the gaudy facade of the giant multiplex a withering look before he pushed Hagrid through the “automatic doors”. Arthur could wax almost lyrically about such Muggle inventions like “automatic doors”. To Snape, it was a cheap ersatz for proper magic.

Hagrid - who for about fifty years of his life had known the vast, venerable halls of Hogwarts and had seen the Great Hall in festive glory on numerous occasions - now stood gaping in the brightly lit, soft-carpeted entrance hall. The building looked more like one of the Muggles’ huge shops “Where you can buy everything!” as Arthur Weasley had told them enthusiastically. Being accustomed to the halls of Hogwarts as well, the Potions Master was less impressed. Certainly he was not amused about his companion, who stood like a rock in a milling crowd of mostly adolescent Muggles, towering over everybody, obviously pleased as Punch and eager to explore his surroundings.

Snape had already made a brief survey. To their left were the ticket stalls, with people queuing. Overhead screens showed that there were different halls where moving pictures were shown, giving what was obviously the name of the picture, the time and the location. A distinct smell of coffee and something that might pass for food wafted over from a large counter to their right. In a corner, hordes of young Muggles crowded a group of small tables and seats. Two of the moving stairs Arthur had been so taken in with - as if he had not spend his schooldays at Hogwarts, with rather more interesting moving stairs, for Merlin’s sake! – lead up to another floor, where more people were milling around in a gallery. Straight ahead, behind the moving stairs, a wide corridor lead further into the building.

The Potions Master would have preferred them quickly finding the hall where their moving picture would be shown. Hagrid had other ideas, though. At least he was done with blocking the entrance and walked over to his companion. 

“Doesn’t it look great, Sev’rus?”

One of the screens showed the time: 8:10 p.m. The moving picture they had come to see would begin at 8:15.

“Yes, it does.” Snape let a slight hint of impatience slip into his voice. He indicated a sign showing the way.

“’King Kong’ will be shown at Screen eleven. This way.”

“I’m hungry.”

Snape sighed inwardly. Sometimes, Hagrid seemed to be six years old instead of sixty.

“Alright. But hurry up!”

//Hope he has thought to bring Muggle money ...//

Hagrid beamed.

“’Course. Um – Sev’rus, d’yeh want somethin’ as well?”

Snape shuddered. Not being a great eater anyway, he was convinced that even some Muggles with their wits about them would frown at that kind of “food”.

“No, thank you. Hurry up!”

When Hagrid returned, juggling three containers the size of small buckets, one sloshing with a brown fluid and two full to the brim with something looking suspiciously like bird seed after Neville Longbottom had come close to it, plus a few sausages in buns peeking out of the breast-pocket of his vest, the clock showed 8:16. Snape was relieved they had to use the moving stairs anyway to reach Screen 11, so Hagrid trying it out would not take up extra time. 

//In some aspects, the Muggle world is so foreseeable. These moving stairs will bring you to the upper floor and nowhere else. And yet, it seems full of pitfalls, if you believe Arthur’s story about that moving glass cage which got stuck. And he could not disapparate with all those Muggles around, who were stuck with him ...//

The door to Screen 11 was still open, and a young man tried to tear away a part of their tickets. Only the tickets refused to be torn. 

//Great, Arthur. Just great. A typical Weasley idea!//

“Fuck!” the young Muggle declared, trying again to tear off a portion of the tickets. “What’s this shit?” He tried to use his teeth. To no avail.

“Ah, sod it. They’re only valid for this performance anyway. Your seats are up there.”

The first hurdle successfully taken, they hurried up the stairs indicating the different rows of seats, all marked by a letter of the alphabet. Their seats were Z 35 and 36.

“At the top,” Snape said.

They had made it up to row U when the lights slowly faded.

Both wizards could see well enough in the dark, nevertheless, two empty seats, their seats, were in the middle of the furthest row, and they would have to push past other people and clamber over legs and feet to reach them. Snape hated being close to people, let alone brushing past them.

It did not help their ascend that on the screen in their backs a strange flying machine, accompanied by the appropriate sounds and blaring music, advertised the cinema’s sound system at a thunderous volume. Hagrid flinched and showered Snape with some of the sticky content of his buckets.

“Merlin’s Balls, can’t you pay attention?!”

“Sorry, Sev’rus.” Hagrid put his containers down on the floor and tried to brush the offending stuff off the Potions Master, who hissed at him like a cobra about to strike.

“Come on!”

With his usual speed, Snape pushed into the furthest row, clambering over legs and feet, bruising a few toes, shins and knees in the process. Unfortunately, his progress was halted by a pair of exceptionally large feet, belonging to a young man with a shaved head, crowned by a line of hair running down the middle. Snape stumbled, grabbed for a hold, and finding none, made an elegant half-turn landing in the lap of a rather sparsely clad, gum-chewing young lady.

He muttered an apology and was on his feet the same instant, but the young woman did not take well to his involuntary infringement on her privacy.

“Gerroff me, asshole!” she complained and struck at him with her fist, catching his hipbone.

The Potions Master would have ignored her, had she not hit him. The pain in his hip made him turn and give her The Glare. Professor Snape’s Glare was said to strip paint off doors and walls. A lot of students in every house were convinced he could win a staring match with a Basilisk. 

Even in semi-darkness, the aggressive young lady caught enough of The Glare to look suitably frightened, Snape noted. Her neighbour with the large feet and the brush on his head, most probably her boyfriend, was unable to move much, because Hagrid, who had caught up, stood right in front of him. 

“I believe I apologised,” Snape addressed the young lady in his Death Eater voice. Used in class while teaching, it made even the mere indication of a certain page in a book sound like an ominous promise of a very unpleasant future. It spoke of detentions and thick scrolls of parchment to be written about the effects of a certain plant growing only in the remotest places on earth, the essays being due within twenty-four hours. 

Now, it showed its usual effect again. The aggressive young lady had been in full gear. She had balled her fist to strike once more, but Snape’s look and his voice stopped her dead in her tracks. Her fist dangled limply in the air, her eyes widened with fear. 

“Creep?” she said in a faint voice. Strangely, the word was posed as a question.

“Let me assure you, Miss: The sentiment is mutual!” Snape shot at her.

“S’cuse me,” Boyfriend finally found his voice. “I’m a bit – constricted – here, and I can’t see much.”

“Amen to that,” the young woman next to Miss Aggressive joined in. “I’d like to sit down again.”

With a snort like an angry Thestral, Snape pushed past four more people and took the second free seat, while Hagrid squeezed his bulk in next to him sighing contentedly, balancing his food and drink on his knees.

 

5\. Watching A Moving Picture With Hagrid

Snape rubbed his hip, folded his long legs and stretched them again, trying to relax and enjoy the peace and – relative – quiet. The sound system was still blaring, and Hagrid next to him tucked into his popped up birdseed with his usual thoroughness, happily munching away.

Their seats were a bit odd, Snape discovered. He was sharing one bench with Hagrid, without an armrest between them. Given the width of the bench and Hagrid’s bulk, he was sitting quite close to the gamekeeper. Not that he minded very much. He had come to like being rather close to Hagrid over the last two months. More than he would ever admit. Right at the moment, however, he would have liked a little more distance between them, because Hagrid was excited, munching like a whole herd of rabbits, looking around, shifting in his seat a lot. At least he did not attempt to speak while eating.

One of the buckets with its dubious content was shoved under the Potions Master’s nose. It smelled sweet, with an underlying odour of rancid oil.

“Wmp fm, Smp’rmpf?” 

So much for his last thought ...

“I beg your pardon?!”

“Sch’rmpf.” Hagrid swallowed. “Want some, Sev’rus?”

Snape closed his eyes. Some of Hagrid’s manners would take a while to get accustomed to. 

“No, thank you, Rubeus, I’m not hungry.”

“Tha’s the sweet stuff. The other one’s salted. Want some of tha’?”

“Thank you, but no.” Snape was annoyed, but strangely, he had the urge to touch Hagrid gently to show him that he was not angry. He suppressed it. The half-giant could become too – enthusiastic in public.

Blessed silence. Snape concentrated on the events on the screen. As far as he could make out, Muggles liked guys in black leather with big guns, shooting them by hanging from one of these flying machines; tall Africans throwing balls into basket-like devices fixed to a wall; young Muggles on beaches behaving wildly under the influence of some intoxicating liquor ...

“Sev’rus?”

“Yes?!”

“Strange movin’ picter, tha’. I’m not sure I understand wha’s going on.”

Snape sighed inwardly.

“As far as I can guess, Rubeus, this is not the moving picture we have come to see.”

“So are we wrong, then?”

“I believe not. These are short moving pictures which shall induce the Muggles to buy certain products or to avail themselves of certain services. Advertisements.”

“Strange. But will they show the movin’ picter with the king?”

“I strongly hope so.”

The blaring music and the flying machine sweeping over a futuristic city came on again.

“We had tha’ already. – Sev’rus?”

“Hmmmm?!”

“It’s called a movin’ picter, but the posters and th’other picters in the big hall were not movin’ at all.”

Snape suppressed another sigh.

“Muggle paintings and photographs don’t move, Rubeus. You should know that. – Hush now. I think that’s the moving picture we have come for.”

The screen had gone dark, and the general hubbub around them diminished. Another moving picture began, and because it did not change into something completely different after a few minutes, the Potions Master hoped it would be the picture they had come to see.

Blessed silence for about thirty seconds, then: “Tha’ city there, it’s not London, is it?”

“No. Possibly New York, a big city overseas, in the country the Muggles call the ‘United States’”.

Snape felt a slight headache coming on. Hagrid was like a bag of fleas. A well more than seven feet tall bag of fleas. Plus: He had not figured out yet in how far their tickets were imbued with magic ...

“Now look at tha’! Strange cars they have over there! And strange clothes and haircuts!”

“The moving picture shows another time, Rubeus. As far as I can estimate, the early third decade of the last century. And please keep it down a little!”

Too late. Some caged wild animals were shown, and Hagrid got really excited about the small cages and the poor creatures crammed into them.

Someone from the row in front of them turned for a quick look. After staring him down, Snape cast a protective spell around himself and Hagrid, so their further conversation would not be overheard by the Muggles around them. 

He ignored his companion’s next comments, which were in the vein of: “Wha’ about the animals now?” “She’s a nice girl, she shouldn’t go in there!” and “Tha’ guy, he’s a crook, ain’t he? He promises them money, but he hasn’t a single Knut at all, I bet!” Only the comment: “Lo’! That guy – he’s got such a lovely nose!” evoked a snort from Snape.

Slowly but steadily, the moving picture became more interesting, which alerted Snape to more caution. The characters now were on an old rusty ship, on their way to an island, which according to the captain’s charts did not exist. It existed alright, of course, and the boat got wrecked.

A strange island was most probably populated in abundance by peculiar, ill-mannered creatures with very bad habits. Snape was fully alert now, as Hagrid became more and more excited.

At the moment, the bad habits and even worse manners were confined to the island’s human population, although Snape found them marginally better behaved than his Thursday Afternoon Class of seven-year Gryffindors and Slytherins. They tried to capture the ship’s crew and its passengers, and a lot of killing was going on. Hagrid shook his head.

The natives were defeated, but during the night they attacked the ship and kidnapped the blonde young dancer, whom the seedy movie director had lured on a trip in the hope of a career as an actress.

“Lo’! Lo’! Now tha’s ter bad! We oughter do somethin’!” Hagrid shouted.

“Shhhhhh!” Snape hissed angrily, doubling the protective spell. “Look, Rubeus, this is all not real. It is an entertainment. Like a play. The people are not actually killed or wounded, and the young woman is not in danger!”

Hagrid gave a sceptical grunt, which shortly afterwards changed into an “aaaah” of delight. The natives had been about to sacrifice the young woman, and an enormous gorilla, high as a house, had taken her into one of his large hands and ran away with her into the jungle.

“Merlin’s Beard! What a creature! Would like ter be there, ter –“

At the same moment, Snape felt Hagrid’s large frame next to him vanish.

//Salazar’s Bloody Bollocks!//

On the screen, Hagrid could be seen following the huge ape and its prey.

//Oh no ... I’ll kill him. I’ll go there as well and kill him. And Arthur Weasley, too. For good measure.//

*****  
The moving picture was interrupted for a break, and the lights went up.

The aggressive young lady pushed her boyfriend in his ribs. 

“Oi, look at that. The Creep and his Wrestler Friend – they’ve gone. Did you see them get out? I didn’t for sure.”

Boyfriend shrugged.

“Aw, who cares? Thought just now, though, I saw that Wrestler in the movie.”

She boxed his head.

“Aw, Spike, c’mon. Don’t start that shit on me again. Seein’ things which are not there! Let’s grab a beer!”

Boyfriend agreed, but going down the steps to the exit, he muttered: “She’s roight. They’ve gotten out, for sure. And they would’ve to get past us again. They didn’t. And it was that hairy Wrestler in the movie right now!”

6\. Giant Apes and Other Surprises

As soon as he had thought he wanted to go there, Snape had been in the moving picture. It was hot and humid. He found that he did not like the development of events at all. 

He was following Hagrid up a rocky path through a kind of jungle. And it was real. All too real. Merlin knew what creatures they were alerting to their presence right now, apart from the giant ape. And probably the Muggles watching the moving picture could see them as well. Or would Arthur have prevented this? It would be better if he cast a spell of his own later ... Another unknown factor in the calculation were the human protagonists of the moving picture. Well, they could be talked to, at least part of them, whereas the flora and fauna probably couldn’t care less about who would be its prey ... Merlin knew what Arthur had thought he was doing, choosing this picture for an outing with Molly ... For his part, Snape wanted to catch up with Hagrid, grab him, and get the hell out of here ... 

In the distance, the giant ape jumped over a wide, deep crevice and vanished with his screaming captive between the rocks, trees and underbrush on the other side. Hagrid stopped, which enabled the other wizard to catch up with him.

“He’s gone,” the half-giant muttered to himself. Turning, he noticed the Potions Master.

“Oh, hello Sev’rus.”

“Are you aware that I will have to cast an amnesia spell over about two hundred Muggles, if we get out of this mess?!” Snape hissed.

“Sorry, Sev’rus.”

“Out of here. N – aaaaargh, take it off!”

A very large centipede had begun to creep up Snape’s leg and withstood his efforts to shake it off. Hagrid tore it away, holding the writhing creature in both hands. Impressive mandibles snapped ineffectually at his nose.

“Now, look at tha’ fellow! Beautiful, ain’t he?”

“Put it away before I’ll hex it into another dimension!”

Regretfully, Hagrid put the centipede down.

“Impedimenta!”

The centipede, which had begun to hurry towards Snape again as soon as it had sensed the ground under its legs, was brought to a stumbling halt. Helplessly, it writhed on the ground.

“Awww ...”

“Let’s get away before its companions find us! Or something which preys on them.”

//Away, yes. But how do we get out of here again? Oh no -!//

Snape’s gaze followed Hagrid’s outstretched finger. 

“Beautiful!” Hagrid mouthed.

He was right. In a way. If chewing Brontosaurs at the shore of a crystal clear lake surrounded by green hills were beautiful, this scene surely was. At least it was peaceful. 

Hagrid tried to get closer, but Snape held him back.

“Don’t. Even. Think. Of. It. – Saint Mungo on a frigging Thestral! Run!”

Hagrid, alerted by the swooshing and screeching in the air, looked up into the sky, grabbed his companion, threw him over his shoulder and ran, ducking from the attacking giant flying foxes. These were no harmless fruitbats, their teeth clearly showed they were predators. And they meant business.

Hanging over Hagrid’s shoulder, Snape hexed and cursed them at the top of his voice:

“Impedimenta!” “Petrificus Totalus!” “Sectumsempra!” “Incendio!”

The sharp-toothed creatures fell away, petrified, their wings no longer bearing them, screaming horribly when bleeding gashes appeared in their bodies. Others burst into flames. And suddenly, as if by an unheard command, they fell back, dispersed, vanished into the sky.

Snape took a deep breath, putting his wand away.

Hagrid had stopped running and breathed heavily, but he would not let go of Severus. He was bleeding from a few gashes in his hands and his face.

“Put me down,” Snape said sternly. “Let me look at you.”

Hagrid obeyed, and Severus examined the gashes. Nothing serious. He murmured a healing spell, and got kissed on the nose as a thank you.

“Mpf.” He pushed the half-giant away.

“Yeh’re bleedin’ yerself.”

Snape looked at his hands. 

“Superficially.” He did another healing spell. 

“Let’s get out of here, now!”

“Sev’rus?”

“What?!”

“Could we stay a little bit longer? I want ter have another look at that big ape –“

Snape turned around and began to walk.

“I’ve had it. Stay here, if you want. I’ll be –“

He heard a noise behind him and, from the corner of his eyes, saw a movement over his head. 

“Reducto!” he threw over his shoulder, and the two Tyrannosaurs, ready to bite off his head and tear him apart, fled screeching, reduced to the size of mice. 

Snape stopped and looked around. 

“Are you coming now, Rubeus?!”

Hagrid was nowhere to be seen.

//Should I ...?// But no, there had been just the two Tyrannosaurs, no Hagrid. Where was he? They could not have gotten him, he would have heard that ...

“Rubeus? Rubeus?!”

A grunt which sounded of pain, but also strangely muffled.

//Merlin ...//

Snape hurried back to where he had left the half-giant standing. No Hagrid.

Snape rushed through the giant ferns – and literally stopped at the last second, at the edge of a precipice forming a narrow, dark gorge. From deep below, he could hear more of the muffled sounds of pain, and dimly saw Hagrid move down there. Of course, the stubborn idiot would have followed the ape and had fallen down that narrow gorge, which could only be seen at the very last minute. He must have hurt himself or gotten stuck, otherwise he would not be flailing around – //Merciful Merlin, what is this thing covering his head?// –

Snape did not remember having ever scrambled down a steep, rocky precipice that fast. Twice he lost his footing and slid down a few metres before he could hold on to a rock or some plants to slow his descent. Then he was at the bottom, standing in a kind of swamp up to his thighs. And the swamp was alive. Very much alive with a kind of oversized leeches, which showed a lot of interest in Hagrid at the moment. They were crawling over him, and an especially large one had put itself over Hagrid’s head and face – //Damn, what’s that spell?// –

“Hirudinaea evanesca!”

The leeches fell away from Hagrid and burst into green flames. 

Snape waded over to the gasping half-giant and grabbed the front of his tee-shirt, not caring that he also took a lot of beard with it.

“Ascendio!”

Despite Hagrid’s enormous weight, they shot upwards and out of the gorge at a good speed. Hagrid crashed into the underbrush, and the Potions Master landed on top of him. He said nothing, but his eyes blazed, when he yanked a few smaller leeches off the half-giant and threw them back into the gorge. Still without a word, he did a quick search on himself, but found no leeches.

Hagrid, who had staggered to his feet, took a step back, when Severus advanced upon him like a venomous viper. For a moment, the Potions Master glared at the half-giant as if to strike him. 

“Lavate!” A cleaning spell.

“Thank yeh, Sev’rus.” Hagrid said in a small voice.

Snape turned away.

Something rustled and crashed near them. Something rather large ... The rustling stopped. Snape turned around. And swallowed.

//It must have heard us, it has come back ...//

A normal-sized gorilla would have been worse enough. But this creature was as high as a house. 

//I believe ... I’ve got a new Boggart...// Snape thought and took a step backwards. 

“Now, aren’t yeh a beauty?” that was Hagrid. 

“Rubeus ...” Snape took another involuntary step backwards – too late. A giant hairy hand scooped him up , and then he was several feet up in the air, and a huge gorilla face filled his vision. Large brown eyes looked at him, curious and sad, then he was lifted up even higher, to the flat nose. Enormous nostrils sniffed him.

//Damn, he should sniff himself ... that stench ... What’s he sniffing anway? He’ll find out that I am male, and then he’ll kill me,// Snape thought. //Petrificus Totalus would not be a good idea at the moment. Neither Reducto, I won’t be fast enough to chase it with a levitation spell from this height – Keep calm, Snape, don’t panic ...//

The giant gorilla snorted. It sounded a bit puzzled. 

“Yeh are a strong, beautiful boy. Tall’n hairy.” Hagrid’s voice.

Another snort.

“Why’s it sech a strapping guy’s all alone?” Snape heard Hagrid say. “Now, there must be a luv’ly lady fer yeh somewhere.”

The Potions Master gulped. He was shaken up and down like on a swing when the giant creature sat down. A terrible roar, and Snape barely suppressed a yelp of fear. He was swung up in the air, and held to the huge fingers for dear life. The Potions Master could not see what Hagrid was doing, and this unnerved him as much as being in the hand of a big ape. 

//Perhaps a Death Eater meeting would have been the more pleasant option for this Friday evening after all ...//

A snarl. Then a snort. And then grunts. 

//What’s he doing, by the Devil’s tits?!//

“I knew yeh’d like that.” 

A series of grunts. Snape tried to roll his eyes into Hagrid’s direction. 

//Merciful Merlin! He’s tickling his toes!//

The giant ape rolled elegantly over on his back, holding the Potions Master playfully high up in the air. Something in Snape’s brain kicked into gear again.

//Now ...//

“Imperio.”

The huge creature flinched.

“Put. Me. Down. Carefully.”

The ape obeyed. Snape crawled away quickly. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the gorilla look at Hagrid, obviously bewildered.

//I just wonder what he did to the woman ...//

As an answer to Snape’s thought, a high, piercing scream could be heard. The giant ape roared, jumped up, turned around and ran away, following the sound of another scream, even more frightened and shrill. For a moment it seemed to the Potions Master as if Hagrid wanted to run after the gorilla, but instead, he came over to where Snape was still kneeling.

“Yeh aright, Sev’rus?”

Snape gave him a murderous look. 

“Actually, Rubeus, I have never felt better!” It was not just pure irony, he was really glad to be still alive and to have all his limbs.

Hagrid swallowed.

“I want to be back at the moving picture theatre!” the Potions Master hissed.

“Me too,” Hagrid said meekly.

 

7\. Snape Is Not Amused

At the same moment, they were back in their seats, found the lights up and the theatre half empty. Hagrid looked around.

“Is it already over then, tha’ movin’ picter? Strange.”

No answer. Snape sat in the farthest corner of his part of the seat, his face furious. He was trembling.

Hagrid would have liked to take him into his huge arms, to hug and caress him, but he had learned that it was not advisable to touch Severus when he was in one of these moods. Sometimes, Snape had been like this when he had been away for some time, sent on a mission by Dumbledore. He had sought out Hagrid in his hut, had curled up in the old overstuffed chair at the fireplace, staring into the flames. He also usually reacted that way after sex, before dressing and leaving. Only once, recently, he had come back to bed and curled up in Hagrid’s arms. Probably, this would be a thing of the past now, Hagrid thought. He felt miserable.

The people returned, and the moving picture was continued. Still, Severus sat in his corner, staring at the screen, but never reacting to anything that was shown, neither to the giant leeches and other creepy crawlies decimating the cast, nor to the blonde heroine almost killed by Tyrannosaurs, saved by the giant ape, befriending him. She was found by the ship crew and saved, the ape was stunned and taken along to New York.

“Now, tha’s not right!” Hagrid complained. “He don’t belong inter the big city, people makin’ fun o’ him! And he was lonely, too! All th’ other apes died, there was the skellertons!”

Severus’s lips moved, but not in answer to Hagrid’s complaint. He probably was casting the “obliviate” spell for the Muggles. Then he fell silent, staring at the screen, and Hagrid could not say whether he saw anything at all. 

//Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!// the half-giant thought.

The moving picture continued. The giant ape freed himself, wreaking havoc in the big city, searching for the blonde woman. Finally he found her, and they had a few quiet moments together on a frozen lake in a park, before he was attacked by aeroplanes and finally shot down from one of the huge buildings they had there. The guy with the big nose and the sad eyes proved a real hero, in the jungle and later trying to save the woman in the city, so he got the girl in the end. Hagrid thought this was alright, though he was very sad that the big ape had been killed.

When the lights came up, Severus stood and pushed past Hagrid, who was noisily blowing his nose. The half-giant trotted after him. Severus hurriedly left the theatre, wound himself through the crowds and vanished into the alley from where they had come out earlier.

“Sev’rus –“ Hagrid tried, but Snape looked at him icily, so he did not make another attempt.

//He’s really angry ... Shouldn’t ‘ve done tha’ – insist on stayin’ after tha’ incident with the flyin’ foxes – tha’ was rather stupid of me. And ungrateful, too. I’d like ter tell him. But he doesn’t want ter hear anything at the moment ... Shit. Tha’s not how I thought this ev’nin’ would turn out ... But the ape – he was sech a luv’ly feller ... //

8\. Return To Hogwarts

They apparated to the boundaries of Hogwarts. Snape briskly walked up the path to the castle, still without a word.

Hagrid was dismayed. 

//If I let him go now, ev’rythin’ might be over,// he thought. It would not help if they both slept a night on it and talked things through the next day. Not with Severus. Hagrid’s instincts for the difficult Potions Master’s messages and needs had sharpened very much over the last two months, and he sensed drawbridges going up again, doors being closed and locked, which he carefully, gently, had pried open, inch by inch. He did not want this to happen, so he hurried after Snape, stepping in his path.

“Sev’rus,” he began again, “lo’, tha’ was stupid an’ selfish of me, ter insist ter stay after them flyin’ foxes. Yeh see, I – I know very well tha’ the leeches would’ve killed me like the poor chap in the movin’ picter, only fer real, if yeh hadn’t – and thank yeh! Sorry ‘bout the ape, I thought he’d take me up, yeh see ...”

Pleadingly, he looked down at the Potions Master, who stood in the moonlight, arms folded, glaring up at him. A soft breeze blew a few strands of hair into his face, and his dark eyes were as unreadable as they could be. At least he had stopped walking, and he had not zapped Hagrid out of his way. As it was, he looked irresistible with that frown. Had he dared, Hagrid would have swept Severus up into his arms, carried him to his hut and made love to him. 

Too late he remembered that Snape could read other people’s thoughts if he wanted, but probably, his face had given away what he thought anyway. 

Embarrassed, he looked away and shuffled his feet, but not before he had noticed the Potions Master’s stern look soften a bit. 

His relief was replaced by horror, however, when he caught a movement at his chest and felt something wiggle in the breast pocket of his vest. 

He followed Severus’s dark, disgusted gaze.

//Oh no!//

A small centipede wriggled out of his breast pocket. 

“Ooops – where d’yeh come from?” Hagrid caught the little monster in his hand. “Oh –“

Another centipede crawled from the inner pocket of his leather vest, and the half-giant plucked it away from his chest.

“Must’ve bin them sausages in th’ buns. Apparently the li’l fellers like ‘em ...”

Seeing Snape’s glare, he interrupted himself. Holding one of the wriggling centipedes in each hand like an offering, he stood in front of the Potions Master.

“Lo’, Sev’rus, I didn’t bring ‘em on purpose! I dunno how they got inter me pockets, I swear!”

He looked down into Snape’s face. The Potions Master’s features were set in an expression of stern disgust.

“I’d bring em back, but I dunno how ter do it,” Hagrid continued helplessly.

For a second, Snape’s face changed. His features lost their stern appearance, they became younger, his eyes sad and gentle.

He pushed past Hagrid and illuminated the tip of his wand.

“We better bring them to the Forbidden Forest, then.”

“Tha’s a very good idear, Sev’rus.” Hagrid hurried after the dark-clad figure.

//He said “we”, he def’nitely said “we”, he did ...//

Snape strode along briskly through the Forbidden Forest. It had been a long time since a bewildered, frightened and angry adolescent had run away and had tried to hide here. Meanwhile, he knew his way, gathering moss, plants, mushrooms and other ingredients for his potions, but when they came into the darker and deeper recesses, he let Hagrid take the lead. 

On a moonlit clearing, they finally stopped. 

“Here,” Hagrid said, gently putting the wriggling little monsters onto the soft ground, where they rushed away quickly, with no attempts at climbing legs or crawling back into pockets. 

“Bye, Wriggles,” Hagrid said. “Bye, Tramp.”

Snape resisted the urge to put a hand over his eyes.

//Wriggles. And Tramp. - Well, I had to do this, he was mortified about the ape. Wait a minute. If he could bring over the centipedes ... Better not even think of it ...//

“Let’s go back,” he said.

“Sure. Would yeh – would yeh care fer a li’l nightcap at me hut?” Hagrid asked shyly.

Snape thought for a moment.

“Very well,” he conceded.

 

9\. In Hagrid’s Hut

Snape sat in the old overstuffed armchair, slowly sipping his tea, which Hagrid had laced generously with rum. He was still rather quiet, looking into his cup, then at Hagrid, who tried to make conversation, talking about the moving picture, obviously relieved that the Potions Master no longer seemed that angry.

“T’ was so sad ‘bout Kong. He was all alone, all his people dead. Th’ other apes, I mean.”

“He was a monster,” Snape objected. “The natives offered him young women of their tribe, and he obviously killed them all.”

“Accidents mos’ly, I think.”

Snape took another swig from his cup.

“A lot of ‘accidents’,” he sniffed.

“Sure, t’ wasn’t right o’ him. I think he was despaired ter be all alone. T’ was not the girls’ fault they were ter small fer him.” 

Snape detected a bit of understanding in Hagrid’s words. 

“An’ he was a poor beast, anyway. Didn’t know better than ter get angry. After all, there had been no one around ter teach him how ter be careful.” 

Snape looked at the half-giant, took a sip from his teacup and lowered his gaze again.

//Small wonder he sees parallels between himself and the giant ape,// he thought. //I never realised this before, but he must have been very lonely as a child and a youth ... Always sticking out from the crowd ... His peers teasing and mocking him ... You cannot become furious, because you would definitely kill your opponent. And how do you find a bed partner? ... I feel for him, as I have never felt for someone before, but I cannot tell him. I’ll show him instead ...//

He looked into Hagrid’s face.

Uneasily, Hagrid moved in his chair, which creaked in protest.

“Sum’thin’ th’ matter, Sev’rus? Yeh’re lookin’ at me ...”

Severus drained his cup.

“I hope, I’m not too small for you, Rubeus,” he remarked offhandedly.

“Erm – ah – not at all, Sev’rus. Surely –“

“I want you to make love to me,” Snape cut in, before the half-giant could say more.

Now it was Hagrid’s turn to stare at the Potions Master.

“Yeh mean ...? Me? You?” he stammered, “Inter ...? But ...?”

“I’m not a virgin anymore,” Snape assured him.

“Sure,” Hagrid stammered. He jumped up and began to walk around. “I mean, we did it tergether, sure, even if t’was the other way roun’, and I know yeh had somethin’ goin’ on with Lu... er, I mean yeh surely had yer ‘xperiences ... But –“

“Sit down, Rubeus!” Snape snapped. “I know perfectly well what I want. We are wizards, for Merlin’s sake!”

Obediently, Hagrid sat down in his chair again, obviously relieved that the Potions Master did not seem interested in his slip of tongue hinting at a past relationship.

“Yeh’re the wizard mos’ly, Sev’rus,” he said.

“Whatever,” Snape answered. “Anyway, my animal is the snake.” The corners of his mouth twitched briefly, as if to curl upward into a smile.

For Hagrid, who was familiar with what your common snake could swallow, it became quickly clear what Severus was hinting at. He turned beet red.

Snape slid over to the half-giant’s chair and leaned against him, his fingers gliding gently over Hagrid’s crotch. The gamekeeper swallowed, when Severus began to open his trousers. He had hoped, wished, longed for his lover to do this for him, but had not dared to ask.

//Time for a change,// Snape thought. The few times they had been together before, he had fucked Hagrid without too many preliminaries, in a friendly, but matter-of-fact way. He had made it clear that he did not wish to be touched more than absolutely necessary, but he always had adapted the size of his cock to Hagrid’s larger proportions. 

//Let’s see how it works this way ...//

His hand slid into Hagrid’s trousers, gently touching his enormous cock. Hagrid leaned his head against Snape’s shoulder.

//So grateful for every touch, even if it may be not very gentle or skilled ... Just like me ... From now on, I’ll take my time when being with him. He deserves it.// Snape vowed silently. 

Slowly, he began to caress the half-giant. 

//Enormous, powerful, delicious.//

Hagrid moaned, when Severus freed his cock from his trousers, all the time caressing it, harder, then gently again. 

“Shhhhh,” Snape said softly, kneeling down between Hagrid’s legs. He cupped the balls in his hands and began to nibble at them.

Hagrid bucked upward, but Snape steadied him with a stern look out of dark eyes between strands of black hair. He returned his attention to Hagrid’s cock, began to lick, kiss and suck it, slowly swallowing inch by inch. It smelled and tasted delicious. Salty. Musky. 

Hagrid involuntarily bucked upward again, he could not help it. The hot mouth, the nimble tongue, the throat working around him – it was too much. And then Severus withdrew, got up.

//Oh -//

A hand-wave brought a soft rug in front of the fireplace.

“Get up. Let me help you undress.” Snape whispered. 

//Feel giddy, as if I’d had ter many beers at the Three Broomsticks. Sev’rus has never been like this before ... Tha’ gentle an’ attentive ... Not tha’ it was bad before, but ... now - oh ...//

Snape worshipped his lover’s body with his mouth and his hands. 

//Such powerful arms ... What a chest, wide and muscular, what shoulders ... He does a lot of heavy manual work; he walks long distances in the forest. Legs like pillars, hard, firm buttocks ... And everything covered in this soft, frizzy auburn hair, lighter in colour than his hair and beard ... His eyes, clear and ... how can they be innocent, although he sees more than a superficial observer would give him credit for? ... Such a big nose, it always makes me want to smile. A sensuous mouth. Very sensuous ... The whole Hagrid enormously strong and just as good-natured and patient. Grateful for me, ugly, greasy, razor-tongued Severus Snape, stroking his body. It feels good to be wanted in this way ...//

“Sev’rus ... delicious ...”

“Shhhhhh ... undress me ...” Snape whispered.

Hagrid obeyed with trembling fingers, gently caressing every inch of skin he bared, and Snape held still, eyes closed. He breathed faster, deeper. When he was naked, he slid away from his lover’s gentle hands and stood in front of the blazing fire, probably unaware of what this view did to Hagrid. 

//He’s scrawny, he sure is. And his nose’s very big. Hmmm, not only his nose, when I come ter think of it. I like tha’. Not tha’ he’d win a beauty prize fer a human. But humans come in all shapes and sizes, jes like dragons. Who, with his head screwed on th’ right way would liken an Oriental Firebreather to a Hungarian Horntail? Why, it looks so much like a big snake! Horntail breeders say it’s an ugly creature. An’ yet it’s beautiful in its own right. Jes like Sev’rus ... Long limbs ‘e’ s got, not much hair on his body, but a skin as white as milk ... An’ he moves as if he was glidin’ all the time ... such beautiful hands ... an’ his eyes ... yeh can fall inter them ...//

“Accio, lubricant.”

//Not ter ferget that deep, resonant voice ...//

Obediently, a small green jar raised itself from a shelf, flew into the Potions Master’s outstretched hand. 

“Rubeus?”

Hagrid did not need another invitation. He lay down on his back on the rug and let long-fingered hands generously lavish lubricant on his cock. Severus’s head was bowed, his dark hair hung in his face, the white skin of his shoulders and sinewy arms in stark contrast to the mass of hair. 

//So good ...// Hagrid thought, as fine, strong hands massaged the head of his cock, thumbing the slit at the top, where pre-come mixed with the lubricant.

Snape looked up, his face concentrated, serious. He knelt with spread legs over the half-giant’s lower body and took up the green jar in both hands, offering it to his lover. Hagrid dipped his fingers into the lubricant. Severus slithered a bit closer, and Hagrid’s forefinger sought for his lover’s opening, circling the soft skin with his fingertip, feeling the tight muscle beneath.

Snape’s lips opened involuntarily, and the tip of his tongue flicked over them.

Slowly, Hagrid increased the pressure of his finger, breaching the entrance. 

//Hot an’ tight ... Feels good ... Careful, Hagrid ...//

Snape took his lower lip between his teeth for a moment. When Hagrid carefully moved his digit around and found the sensitive spot inside, there was that flick of tongue again. 

Hagrid stroked the sensitive spot a few times, eliciting a moan from Severus. 

//Likes tha’ ...//

He withdrew his finger and let it return together with the middle digit. With a gasp, Snape fell forward, bracing himself with his hands on Hagrid’s chest, before he pushed down on the fingers caressing him inside, lifting himself up again, in a slow, undulating movement. His cock stood high against his lower body. 

//Have ter be careful ... But he likes me doin’ tha’ ter him ... Looks beautiful. Who has ever seen the stern Potions Master like this? Not many people, ter be sure.//

The arrival of the third finger was greeted by a low moan, which was smothered quickly by Severus biting the back of his hand. He increased the pace of his movements, and Hagrid tried to follow the rhythm with thrusting fingers. 

“Rubeus – now – please ...”

Carefully, Hagrid withdrew his fingers. Breathing deeply, Snape poised himself over his lover’s enormous rod. Hagrid saw his lips move, voicing a spell, before Severus slowly lowered himself onto him.

Silky heat. 

//Oh Merlin ... Want ter go a bit deeper ... This is so good ...//

Severus gasped, when Hagrid tentatively rocked his hips to slide his cock in a bit deeper. 

“Yeh alrigh’, Sev’rus?”

Instead of an answer, Snape pushed himself down, closer to his lover, and when Hagrid’s thrusts became stronger, as he went deeper and deeper into Severus’s body, his gasps became hissing sobs. Hagrid closed a large warm hand around his cock.

//Alrigh ...//

After a while, they found a rhythm in their movements. Snape’s head fell backwards, his whole body bent back, overwhelmed by the sensation of Hagrid thrusting into him, massaging his cock at the same time. He clenched his inner muscle invitingly, undulating sensuously, enticing the half-giant to thrust even deeper, at the same time pushing his cock into Hagrid’s hand.

//Steady, Sev’rus, please ...//

Hagrid grabbed Snape’s hips, steadying his movements a bit. Severus, head still thrown back, muffled his screams of ecstasy to low moans by biting his hand. Now a growl of frustration escaped him, and Hagrid released him quickly, returning his attention to his lover’s cock. 

“Sev’rus ...?”

Snape shook his head wildly, increased his pace and squeezed Hagrid’s cock fiercely. He bit down hard on the back of his hand when he came, his breath escaping in short gasps.

Hagrid felt the hot semen spill over his hand and his furry belly – 

//Please, Sev’rus, please let me ...//

\- just a few thrusts more – he heard a roar, which must be his own, but the sound was drowned in the waves of his orgasm crashing over him.

After a moment of being utterly spent, Hagrid tried to sit up, but Snape pushed him down again and lifted himself up on his knees, separating their bodies, scrambling closer to the fire, away from his lover. He curled up into a tight ball, still trembling.

//Godric’s Sword – Have I hurt him? Can’t leave him sitting like tha’, simply can’t ...//

Snape had turned his back to the half-giant, staring into the flames. Gently, Hagrid moved a finger down Severus’s curved spine.

//Scars on his back ...//

Snape turned around, snarling, his dark eyes blazing with anger. After a moment, however, his features softened and he slid into his lover’s arms. Hagrid held him, rocking him gently, while Severus’s fingers restlessly toyed with his beard, half stroking the big face.

//Thanks ter all Gods, he’s not hurt ... Have really let meself go. With a human! Even if he’s a powerful wizard ...//

Hagrid took his lover’s bloodied hand and kissed it. Snape shuddered involuntarily.

//Why does it hurt so much to feel his love and care? I have learned rather early to survive without such luxuries. And now – I’ve gone too far. Way too far ... I present a great danger to Rubeus ...//

//Somethin’s botherin’ him. Guess I know what it is ...//

“Sev’rus. Look at me.”

//Merlin ... I should end it now ... Right now ... And I can’t ...//

Snape sat up, Hagrid’s large, warm hands still holding him. A look into the half-giant’s eyes told him that Hagrid knew, knew far more than was good for him. And that he was willing to accept the terms and to pay the price for loving Severus Snape, servant of two masters ...

//He can be foolish like a six-year-old and wise enough for six hundred years. And Merlin knows, I need someone at my side. Someone brave and strong ...//

//He understands tha’ I know an’ tha’ I want ter be with him ...//

Snape shook his head. How could he accept what Hagrid offered him? But how could he refuse?

He extended a hand. Long fingers carefully mapped Hagrid’s face, the large forehead, the big fleshy nose, the ruddy cheeks, the full sensuous lips. 

//I’ve been worried today. Truly worried to lose you ...//

He frowned.

“You have behaved more foolishly and recklessly than a first-year Gryffindor today!” he scolded.

Hagrid grinned, revealing enormous white teeth.

“But I’m no longer in th’ House o’ Gryffindor, so yeh can’t deduce points, Sev’rus.”

“Unfortunately. I’ll give you detention in bed, then.”

With another stern look, Snape snuggled up firmly in his lover’s arms. 

“Sev’rus?”

“Yes.”

“Shouldn’t we do a cleanin’ spell?”

“You are right. – Lavate!”

“Thank yeh.”

Snape closed his eyes, breathing in Hagrid’s delicious musky smell.

“Sev’rus?”

“Yes!”

“Shouldn’t we get inter bed? Will be cold in th’ mornin’.”

“Alright.”

In bed, he curled up in Hagrid’s arms again.

“Sev’rus?”

“Mmmmmm –“

“Fang’s scratchin’ at the door. Can I let him in?”

“Let him in. But if he drools on me again, I’ll find a potion with a whole boarhound as a basic ingredient!”

“Yeh don’t mean tha’, Sev’rus.”

“I wouldn’t be that sure ...” Snape said with a smirk. “No, I’ll cast a protective spell. Hurry up.”

Hagrid got up and let Fang in, who calmed down quickly and curled up in his enormous basket. Hagrid rejoined his lover. With a sigh, Snape settled his head on Hagrid’s chest. 

Silence.

“Sev’rus?”

“What?!”

“T’ was a nice movin’ picter, with a lot of interestin’ animals, and all tha’, but why would Arthur choose it as a present ter give Molly fer their anniversary?”

For a moment, Snape imagined Molly Weasley in the giant ape’s hand, and he smirked. Poor Kong.

“Possibly an uninformed choice on Arthur’s part.”

“Or d’yeh think it was some prank?”

“Nox!”

Darkness. Silence.

//Probably Rubeus is right,// Snape thought. //If Fred and George got wind of their father’s plans for his wedding anniversary ... I will have a word with Arthur ... It is better to think of these ... everyday trivialities ... Hagrid’s gift ... it’s too enormous to grasp it with my mind ...//

//I know alright tha’ he’s a go-between, tha’ he’s spyin’ fer Dumbledore – hopefully – and pretending ter spy fer the Dark Lord. Though no one will get tha’ out of Ole Hagrid. Now he’s afraid Voldemort’ll find out he cares fer me and will try ter bring him ter heel by hurtin’ me, if Sev’rus wouldn’t meet his demands. Could well be. But I’m not afraid. The worst thing is ter let fear rule yer life, ter see Dementers ev’rywhere, and Sev’rus knows this as well as I do ...// Hagrid thought, before he went to sleep.

 

10\. Snape Has A Word With Arthur

A week later, Snape was in Diagon Alley to replenish his stocks of some basic potion ingredients. His mood was not the best, because, although ordered a month ago, the delivery of Vampire Cactus leaves had not arrived yet. The shop owner, Albert Jenkins, who at least had a marginal idea about what he was selling, was not in. His apprentice, Rowena Bonham-Jones, a former Slytherin, surely was very capable – of staring vapidly at her former Potions Professor. Besides, the Giant Squid semen appeared below average in quality.

“Miss Bonham-Jones, please enlighten me as to why your employer has put the latest arrivals in Advanced Potion Making on one of the upper shelves in the book section,” Snape asked sharply. 

“I don’t know, Professor Snape,” Rowena Bonham-Jones answered politely. 

//Probably because Albert the Great Idiot thinks they are too precious to be soiled by grubby fingers,// Snape thought. //But how in Ahasver’s name should someone buy them if nobody can see them?//

He climbed up the creaky ladder and took Valerian Nutmeg’s “Scaly Potions” from the shelf.

“Severus! Severus Snape!”

Snape gave a low growl and turned. Very few people had such utterly pronounced death wishes as to shout his name into his back in a shop!

Arthur the Muggle Expert stood beneath the ladder and smiled up at him. 

//Speaking of the Devil ...//

“Afternoon, Severus. I heard you have been to the Moving Muggle Pictures the other day? Did you enjoy it?”

//Definitely suicidal.//

Snape slid down the ladder.

“I want a word with you, Arthur. In regard to the ‘Moving Muggle Pictures’.”

“Oh sure. At your service.” 

How could someone as straightforward and honest as Arthur Weasley suddenly look so guilty? Why did he ask about the moving pictures? And who had told him it was Snape who had gotten one of the tickets?

The Potions Master eyed the red-haired wizard suspiciously. With a hint of satisfaction he noted that Arthur writhed under his look just as his numerous offspring did during Snape’s lessons.

“Sure, Severus,” Arthur repeated nervously. “Was –?“

“Not here.” Snape shot a deadly look at Rowena Bonham-Jones, who seemed to be all ears.

“Um – I’m to meet Molly in an hour at the Leaky Cauldron, would you care for a drink?”

“Very well.” Snape decided he would give Mr Nutmeg a chance and bought the book together with the young giant squid he had decided to buy instead of the semen. Hagrid would   
be delighted.

The Leaky Cauldron was not too packed at that time of day, and the two wizards found seats in a cosy corner of the large room.

“They serve an excellent cappuccino lately,” Arthur said.

“Tea!” Snape ordered in a voice which spoke of a very unpleasant kind of detention, if said tea would not be on the table before him in three minutes. 

“You wanted to talk to me about the moving picture?” Arthur reminded the Potions Master when they had been served.

//He knows something didn’t go the way it should have gone ...//

Snape sipped his tea and frowned at the sealed container in which the young giant squid swam around. 

“It has been – very educational, Arthur.”

“Educational?!” Arthur blurted out. “I didn’t know you were interested in ballroom dancing?”

“Ballroom dancing?” Snape gave him a deadly look. “I was talking about a lot of interesting flora and fauna.”

Arthur scratched his left ear, obviously completely bewildered.

“I spoke with Hagrid this morning, and he mentioned dinosaurs, centipedes, flying foxes, leeches, and a giant ape. I thought he had mixed up something, but now you are talking about flora and fauna too, Severus. He said Professor Dumbledore gave him the tickets and he took you along – so you must have seen the same moving picture, but ...“

//I see ...//

“He gave me one of the tickets,” Snape conceded off-handedly. 

“I must say, I’m at a loss,” Arthur said. “I surely didn’t intend to watch a moving picture with a lot of animals with Molly ...”

Snape emptied his teacup.

“So the moving picture you intended to watch with your wife did not have a giant ape in it? It was not called ‘King Kong’?”

“’King Kong’? Certainly not. I bought tickets for a romantic comedy. It was called ‘Shall We Dance?’”

Snape smirked.

“And I almost thought that your decision regarding the moving picture for your anniversary had been a little bit – uninformed. ‘Shall We Dance?’ was definitely not the moving picture I have seen. So what is your idea about all this, Arthur?”

“Ummm – “

“Someone must have tampered with the tickets,” Snape continued with his deductions. “But it was you who put the spell on them, enabling the ticket holder to enter into the moving   
picture?”

“Right after buying them,” Arthur admitted. “I clearly remember the tickets saying ‘Shall We Dance?’ when I bought them. I was rather disappointed when I learned about the meeting at the Ministry. So I put the tickets away at home and forgot about them for a while. I couldn’t very well exchange them for another date, could I?”

“The spell could not be reversed?”

“Unfortunately not.”

“It was very unwise to keep the tickets lying around at home, Arthur, for someone else did not have your misgivings about tampering with them,” Snape said sharply. “Someone definitely has changed the title of the moving picture. The spell obviously even worked to the extent that there weren’t two tickets for the same seat at the same performance. Very cunning. – You did not look at them again, when you finally gave them to Dumbledore?”

“Of course not!” Arthur said heatedly. “I would never have given the Headmaster the tickets had I noticed that the title had been changed!”

“Such a childish spell could be very dangerous, Arthur. Hagrid and I were zapped into the moving picture by accident.”

“Oh dear.”

Snape frowned at the young squid again. It tried to pry open the container. 

“Imagine something from the picture had come out into the Muggle world! The consequences would have been terrible for the Muggles at the theatre and for the wizarding world! And what if someone had noticed us in the picture?! “

“I took precautions against ...”

“Oh really? How reassuring!” Snape said sarcastically. “Unfortunately, they did not affect the wild animals in the picture! And all you can say is ‘oh dear’?!”

Arthur was appropriately mortified, the Potions Master noticed with satisfaction.

“Have you been hurt, Severus? Or Hagrid? He looked alright ... And the Muggles ...?”

“Thank you for your concern,” Snape remarked sarcastically. “We were not hurt. We have been very lucky!”

//Not that murderous flying foxes, dinosaurs and especially obnoxious giant leeches had not given their best tries ... Not to mention that being sniffed by a giant ape is an ... exceptional experience ...//

“I’ll have a word with Fred and George!” Arthur said bravely.

“A very wise decision.” 

//... but perhaps you should leave that part to Molly ...//

“I must go now. Thank you for enlightening me with regard to the tickets. And thank you for the tea, Arthur.”

Snape got up, put two of the squid’s tentacles gently back into the container, closed it firmly, took his books, and left a sputtering Arthur Weasley, who apparently had not intended to pay for Severus’s tea. The Potions Master thought, though, that a little punishment for the shock of that enormous leech trying to eat Hagrid would be in order. He had already refrained from giving Arthur a real good lashing with his vicious tongue. His anger did not go that deep, because after all, the little adventure had opened his eyes to how much he actually felt for Hagrid, and how deeply Hagrid felt for him. 

So, in a way, he was grateful. 

Nevertheless, he frowned when he saw the two culprits, Fred and George, standing together with Hagrid at the corner of Diagon and Knockturn Alley. Spotting him, they vanished rather quickly. Hagrid smiled innocently at Severus and was delighted about the young squid, but Severus was not to be fooled. 

“Let me have one of the tickets you bought from these two good-for-nothings.”

“Wha -?”

Snape gave him a stern look.

“You have taken into consideration that he will be as alone in the Forbidden Forest as he is in the jungle now?”

Hagrid smiled his innocent, irresistible smile. 

“Yeh know, I found a mate fer Aragog, I even found a mate fer meself. Why shouldn’t we, in time, find a mate fer Kong?”

To hide the smile creeping around the corners of his mouth, Snape gracefully bowed his head in affirmation. 

“There might be that possibility.”

//Did he say “we”? ... Merlin help us all ...//

THE END


End file.
